


All the right ways

by PuzzlesolverDramaqueen



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU, F/F, F/M, M/M, snippets of the whole family, this is a happy piece
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-02
Updated: 2017-05-02
Packaged: 2018-10-27 02:02:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10799385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PuzzlesolverDramaqueen/pseuds/PuzzlesolverDramaqueen
Summary: Ariana Dumbledore just moved into her own little place, when a very pregnant and very heartbroken Merope Gaunt stumbles into her life. But with their brothers and other family members and the muggle world at war, they will discover a family like that isn't always easy to manage.





	All the right ways

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [thedra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thedra/pseuds/thedra) in the [HPprompts](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/HPprompts) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
>  
> 
> Ariana Dumbledore lived to adulthood and learned to control her magic enough that she was able to live independently, and a heartbroken, pregnant Merope stumbled into her life in the autumn of 1926. They end up raising Tom together. 
> 
> Bonus/optional: Grindelwald is still Dumbledore's friend/lover, and Tom calls him Uncle Gellert.

"I do like the view,” Albus said, standing outside of the small house at the top of the hill, looking at the setting sun. "It's calming."

Ariana smiled and nodded.

"Where are the next neighbours?" Aberforth asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"In the village." She pointed at a small group of houses down the hill.

"That's at least a mile,” Aberforth grumbled. "What if anything happens? Who will be there?"

"Well, I will send for one of you of course." She threaded her arms with each one of her brothers' and beamed up at them.

Aberforth frowned. "I'll hope your potions do what they're supposed to do." He said, looking at Albus.

"They have for the past five years, haven't they?" Albus replied calmly.

"Stop it. I will be fine!" She squeezed both their arms reassuringly.

"I'm just saying, it's different - living alone. You sure, you don't wanna stay with me and Estelle a little longer?"

Ariana shook her head. "No. You have your life and your family. You have looked after me for all my life, it's time for me to look after myself."

Aberforth sighed. "Very well. Just know, if you ever want to come back..."

"I know", she said. "Thank you."

*

"So, how's the house?" Gellert asked, as soon as he had shut the door behind him.

"It is very nice. Quite big for her, but I'm sure she'll get used to it. She seemed very happy." Albus took Gellert’s cloak, that he had carelessly thrown over a chair, and hung it up in the hallway. "It's calm."

"That's what she wanted."

"Mhm." Albus looked at him, curious.

"What?" Gellert took a sip of the tea Albus had prepared for himself and frowned at the cup. "You know, I think we need to talk about your sugar addiction."

"Do I want to know, how you persuaded the owners into giving up the house?"

Gellert gave a short laugh, grabbed Albus' suspenders and pulled him into a kiss.

"I really don't know why you always seem to think I can only get my way using slightly illegal means."

"I never said anything about _slightly_. But it is interesting that you see it that way."

"I promise you there was no harm done. It was all completely legal."

Albus raised an eyebrow, looking skeptical, but Gellert put on his best mask of innocence. In the end, Albus shook his head, smiling faintly. "I will just pretend to believe you and never think about it again."

Gellert grinned. "Good, because I want to take you out for dinner."

*

"Oh, it's lovely!" Estelle clapped her hands and turned around in the living room. It was the biggest room of the house, packed with furniture in light colours and wood and decorated with all kinds of flowers.

"Isn't it?" Ariana smiled happily.

"Did you build the fence, too?" Estelle stepped outside and pointed to the wooden fence circling the house and caging five little goats.

"William helped me."

"William?" Albus and Aberforth asked in unison.

"He's the carpenter in town. He's nice, he offered his help."

Aberforth raised an eyebrow. "Really?" But Estelle elbowed him and rolled her eyes. "Stop it."

Aberforth grumbled dissatisfied.

"There are kids out there, you realise?" He nodded vaguely in the direction of three small, dirty boys, sitting on the fence or reaching through to stroke the goats.

"Oh yes", she said. "Excuse me."

She went into the kitchen and grabbed a small basket, before heading towards the boys. They beamed up at her as she knelt down in the middle of the goats and pushed the basket through the fence.

The boys' faces lit up as they scattered around it, taking all kinds of food out of it and stuffing their mouths with it.

Ariana smiled at them and left them to it, returning to her family.

"Who are they?" Estelle asked.

"They're from the village. They have no one, so sometimes they come here for food or shelter. They like the goats, I think that's why they came in the first place." Ariana explained.

Albus gave her a bright smile and kissed her cheek, before he put on his cloak. "I need to go. I'm very proud of you." He told her, then he looked over at Aberforth, who huffed and crossed his arms, but nodded. "Yeah, me too, Ari."

*

"You know, your brother's right. You just don't like it, when he's right," Estelle said the same evening, when Percy was in bed already and Aberforth sat at the kitchen table, contemplating the new situation.

"No, I don't like it, because each time he's right, he gets more self-righteous, too. I can already hear him: " _I told you she would be fine._ " Until one day she's not and what are we gonna do then?"

"But she _is_ fine, Aberforth. She is doing great on her own. She's grown up, she's got the potions and she knows how to control it. It will all be fine, she hasn't been unstable in years."

Aberforth shook his head. "What if this makes her unstable? It's a big change."

Estelle put her hands on his shoulders and kissed his cheek. "Then she'll reach out to us." She said softly. "But you can't keep her here all her life. She needs to be independent."

"I just want to protect her!"

Estelle smiled. "I know, love."

*

It was raining, of course. It always seemed to rain, especially in autumn, but Ariana didn't mind, she quite liked the rain actually.

She liked the feel of it on her skin and the calmness of the sound it made when it hit the streets.

People used to hide away from it, but Ariana liked to be outside in the rain.

She sat outside on the steps leading up to her house, watching the clouds in the sky and the goats and the puddles pooling up on the old road leading down to the village. The same road that she saw a young woman stumble along.

At first, she wasn't sure where the woman was heading, until she realized it was towards her house.

She stood up slowly, trying to get a better look at the woman, but the rain and the night limited her view.

"Hello?" She called out. The woman came closer and the first thing she noticed was how obviously pregnant she was.

She walked down the street and the young woman collapsed in front of her.

"Oh my..." She pulled the woman up carefully and guided her into the house.

*

"Did she say where she comes from?" Albus asked, eyeing the woman lying in Ariana’s bed.

"She said nothing, except for her name."

Albus hummed thoughtfully. "Merope."

"What do you think?", Ariana asked.

"She is obviously exhausted. We can't know what happened to her - maybe she's just tired - but I suggest you send her to St. Mungo’s as soon as she wakes up - just to be safe."

Ariana nodded. Quietly they moved from her bedroom to the dining room in order to give the woman time to rest.

"I'm sorry, I called you so late, but I didn't know what to do."

Albus smiled at her. "Don't apologies. Did she eat?"

"Some bread and apple and I made tea." As if she remembered something, Ariana got up from the wooden table and went into the kitchen, returning with a steaming cup that she put down in front of Albus.

"Thank you."

He closed his hands around the cup and looked at her, apparently deep in thought. For a moment, neither of them said anything, they just sat there in silence, each of them lost in their own mind.

"Albus?" She asked finally.

"Ariana?"

"Did you ever want to have children?"

He seemed surprised by the question, but maybe he was only surprised it was coming from her. It had been a while since they had had a personal conversation. She loved Albus and she was sure, he loved her, too, but she had always been closer with Aberforth and Albus always seemed busy.

"I thought about it, a few years ago, but I do not think I would be a good father. And neither would Gellert, not to mention the efforts it would take for us to get a child in the first place. Why? Do you consider it?"

He looked at her with his piercing blue eyes as if could see right through her.

"I don't know. I think, it would be nice to have a child, but I feel like I missed my chance. I am not married and I don't know anyone I'd want to marry. And I am not that young anymore."

"You are certainly not too old."

"I know, but... I've never even lived on my own, I haven't seen the world. I'm not sure, I would be good for a child."

"Ariana," Albus took her hand. "You are very strong and clever and kind. And you could give a child so much, most importantly: love. I am sure, every child would be happy to have you in their life."

*

She did what Albus had said: As soon as Merope woke up the next morning she made her breakfast and took her to St. Mungo’s hospital.

It turned out she was exhausted and malnourished, but fine otherwise. There was a bit of an awkward silence following the examination, because Ariana didn't know what to do and Merope didn't know where to go.

In the end, Ariana invited her over for tea and Merope accepted happily and that's how she ended up staying another night. And then another and another and finally, days turned into weeks.

Merope didn't talk much most of the time, but she liked to listen to Ariana and she was grateful for the shelter.

Ariana, on the other hand, was happy about the company and friend - something she'd never had in her life before.

At some point the study turned into a guest room and the guest room soon turned into Merope’s room. Merope helped with the goats and the household, never using magic, although Ariana knew she possessed a wand (contrary to her) and would've been able to use it.

One night, Ariana asked her why and Merope said nothing for a long time, before she whispered: "It's useless."

Ariana didn't really know, what she meant, but Merope also didn't want to talk about it, apparently, so she let it be.

On Christmas, Ariana invited her to their family gathering at Aberforth's and Merope stayed quiet for the whole evening, but seemed to enjoy it, nonetheless.

The last day of the year, Merope's little boy was born. Estelle - the only woman Ariana knew, who actually had experience with childbirth - was there to help and it only took a few hours until they heard the baby's first cry.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle", Merope said weakly, handing the small baby over to Ariana.

*

"So, for how long will she stay?" Aberforth asked one night in march, when Merope and Tom were already asleep and they were moving the goats to a different part of the meadow.

"What do you mean?"

"She's been staying with you for half a year now, it's about time she finds a place to live, right?"

Ariana looked at him confused.

"This _is_ her place to live."

"But not forever."

"Why not?"

Aberforth shot her an astonished glance. "Because she's not family, she doesn't belong here. Doesn't she have, I don't know, a husband or father or anything?"

"She has nobody. And she's my friend."

"You barely know her, Ari." He closed the gate of the fence and put a hand on Ariana's shoulder.

"She's lived with me for half a year, now. I know her well enough, don't worry."

Aberforth sighed. "Are you sure?"

"Very sure." She smiled at him and patted his arm reassuringly.

*

"Why Riddle?" Ariana asked one summer day. They were sitting on a blanket in the meadow in the shadow of one of the oak trees and Tom was crawling around, picking flowers and straws of grass.

"It's his father's name", Merope replied. "Tom Riddle."

Ariana nodded. "Is he dead?"

"I don't know, I don't think so." 

Ariana stayed silent, contemplating the information, but before she could ask more, Merope spoke again: "He left me."

"Oh. I'm sorry." But Merope didn't say anything anymore, she just stared at Tom as if she was lost in her own world.

*

They always seemed to touch, Albus and Gellert. Never too much, but steady, somehow.

When they stood together Gellert would have a hand on Albus' back, when they sat, their thighs and shoulders brushed, when they talked, one would always lean in close.

Sometimes Ariana thought she was the only one, who noticed, sometimes she thought not even the two of them noticed, until Merope pointed it out.

"Are they in love?" She asked quietly. They had a family dinner at their - her - house to celebrate her birthday and while Albus had a conversation with Estelle over the dining table, Gellert put one arm on the backrest of Albus' chair, touching his neck and shoulder ever so slightly.

Ariana thought about it. She didn't know much about their relationship. She had introduced Gellert as her brother's friend and that was that. They were best friends, they were also lovers, she knew that, but everything else she had never bothered to ask Albus about.

So, she answered: "I think so."

"Do they live here? In little Hangleton?"

"No, they live in the south."

Merope seemed relieved. "Good."

"Why?" Ariana looked at her quizzically.

"My Brother. Men like them, he would hurt." She looked down, but Ariana smiled tightly.

"Don't worry, they can't be hurt easily. They are very powerful."

Merope looked at her, astonished, the same moment that Tom woke up and started to cry.

"I'll get him", Ariana said.

*

Tom started to walk at Christmas and spoke his first word - "Mama" - in spring.

By that time, they had become so used to living together that it almost felt like Tom was her son, too. They took turns getting up in the morning with him and changing diapers. Twice a week they went to the market in town together and once a week they took a trip with the goats.

She bought him toys and clothes and she played with him and fed him. They took turns cooking and cleaning and they split the work in the backyard.

Somehow it felt like family.

So, on Albus' birthday she took both of them along. It was the first time that they attended a family dinner all together, that didn't take place at their house.

Albus smiled happily, when they stepped out of the fireplace greeting Merope and Tom as enthusiastically as her.

Bathilda Bagshot and aunt Honoria were there, as well as Elphias Doge, his wife and children and Aberforth and Estelle with their sons, Percy and Oscar, who Tom ran off with as soon as he saw them.

Oscar and Tom on their small, unsteady legs bumped into Gellert, who just came out of the kitchen and looked down at them, surprised. The two boys giggled and pulled themselves up - each of them on one of Gellert’s legs, before they ran after Percy.

Gellert raised his eyebrows, looking at Albus, who grinned in return.

"There are five kids running around the house by now. We could open a Kindergarten."

He handed Albus a glass filled with champagne and put his free arm around him.

"Did you lock the laboratory?", Albus asked.

"Yes, and the office as well, don't need them in there." Then he turned his gaze towards her. "That is a nice locket, Ariana."

Both, her and Albus looked at him in surprise. He rarely ever gave compliments, even more rarely to someone other than Albus and that it concerned a piece of jewelry just made the whole thing odder.

"Oh, thank you", she replied slowly, once she had processed the information that he was, indeed, sincere and not mocking her. "Merope gave it to me."

Absentmindedly she touched the golden locket around her neck.

"Could I take a look at it?" He smiled politely, while Albus' eyes flickered skeptically between him and the locket and Merope.

"Erm, sure."

Slowly she opened the necklace and handed the locket to Gellert.

"Where did you get it from, Merope?", Albus asked, smiling friendly at her.

"It's a family possession." She shot Ariana an unsure look. "Maybe we will give it to Tom one day."

Albus' eyes found the locket just for a moment, while Gellert examined it carefully.

"Who were we, without traditions? It is a very nice gift, indeed." He touched Gellert's arm lightly.

Gellert looked up, looked at Merope, then at her and smiled again, though his smile didn't reach his eyes and didn't hold any other expression either. It was his mask-smile, she knew that, designed to charm people and hide everything else that was going on in his mind.

Nonetheless she reciprocated and took the locket back as he outstretched his hand. She could feel Merope link her arm with hers and she could only imagine that Merope sensed, what she did too: Something was there about the locket that had sparked his interest and Gellert's interests could be dubious from time to time.

She wasn't intimidated by him, she knew Albus wouldn't be together with him if he would ever indulge too much in shady businesses. But she understood that he could make people feel intimidated, who didn't feel her brother as a protecting shield in between them. Sometimes there was just a coldness about him that one couldn't escape or ignore. She really didn't want to be one of his coworkers at the ministry.

"Have you locked the library, too?" Albus asked suddenly and Gellert looked him in the eyes. For a moment, they seemed to have an unspoken conversation and maybe they did (using legilimency or occlumency - anything they had mastered easily, where everyone else failed), but at the end of it, Gellert rolled his eyes and smirked at Albus.

"Don't want them to mess up your alphabetical order?"

Albus smiled and let Gellert kiss his cheek, before he went to lock the library, although Ariana suspected that Albus really didn't care that much about the order of his books.

*

Tom was a happy child, though at times he could be a bit odd and Ariana had to know: she had been an odd child too and so had Albus.

He was clever and quiet and sweet, but most surprisingly he was very magical.

Merope had said that his father was a muggle and Merope could do magic, but refused to for years now, living as a Squib, just like Ariana.

So, it did come as a surprise that he was just five years old, when he accidentally knocked over the old apple tree behind their house. At six she noticed the goats behaved weirdly whenever he was around and at age seven she found him lying on his stomach in the yard, engaging in a conversation with a snake.

When they had discussed that during dinner at the Christmas family gathering, Albus and Gellert had shared a quick look that unsettled her quite a bit, though she didn't tell Merope about it.

They asked Albus to teach him how to read and write and all the other things so that Ariana ended up dropping Tom off twice a week at their place.

Usually she and Merope would go out these evenings. They'd take a walk in the woods or in the village or go out for dinner in town. Sometimes they even went to the theatre or shopping, always carefully avoiding the other hill of Little Hangleton.

"Why is your brother like that?", Ariana asked.

"Like what?"

"He hates people."

"Not all the people. He hates muggles."

"You said he'd hate Albus and Gellert and they're the most powerful wizards of the century."

Merope nodded slowly. "They're no purebloods... at least your brother isn't. And they're homosexual, he doesn't approve of that."

"But that doesn't make sense."

"I know. It's because of our father, he's the same."

"Have you seen them, lately?"

Merope shook her head. "Not in years", she whispered.

*

"Merope Gaunt. Pureblood. Daughter of Margenta and Marvolo Gaunt, both deceased. Sister of Morfin Gaunt. Both Morfin and Marvolo have been arrested for assaulting ministry workers, muggles or other wizards in town at multiple occasions. One Tom Riddle, among others." Gellert looked up from the file he was holding to glance at Albus. "Pureblood supremacists from a textbook. _And_ Marvolo has been heard to claim to be a descendant of Salazar Slytherin."

Albus looked at him only mildly curious. "I know", he stated calmly.

Gellert frowned. "You know?"

"The Gaunts are one of the sacred 28 in England or they were until Merope. I have never been as good of a brother as Aberforth, but I would not just let any stranger live with Ariana without knowing who they are."

"And how did you get that information?"

Albus smiled faintly. "I am friends with a few people in the ministry, as you well know and some of them even owe me a favour or two."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think it was important."

"Cadmus was said to be a parselmouth."

Albus sighed. "I know."

"It's rare and it usually stays in the family."

"I know."

Gellert closed the file and threw it carelessly on the kitchen table. He looked Albus straight in the eyes, forcing his mind against Albus' protections.

"You could just ask," Albus said, closing his mind off.

"You could just tell me."

Albus closed his eyes briefly and sighed again.

"All right." He looked at Gellert again. "You will be angry at me."

Gellert held his gaze, expectantly.

"Do you remember that we talked about the locket a few years ago? The one that Merope said was a family heirloom? You didn't believe her, although I know you took a few trips to Nocturn Alley to see, where she got it from. I did believe her. And I also believed that the locket might have belonged to Slytherin. There are books in Hogwarts, rumours that Slytherin was a parselmouth, so I went to see where Merope grew up."

Gellert nodded. "And?"

"It's an old shack, very dirty, I am inclined to think that nobody cared to clean since Merope moved out. I met only Morfin, Marvolo had already died. He tried to hex me, of course. He almost only speaks parseltongue and he showed me another family heirloom." He looked Gellert in the eyes. "It's a ring, with a stone in it."

Gellert's face remained expressionless, but something lit up in his eyes.

"The resurrection stone," Albus said.

Gellert nodded again, then asked: "You are sure it is the stone?"

"Yes."

Gellert stood up straight, the muscles in his jaw clenched.

"Where is it now?"

"In Nicholas' vault in Gringotts."

"So, you told Flamel, but not me?"

"I thought it'd be best that way."

"So, you don't trust me?"

"Gellert, you know I trust you." Albus reached out for his hand, but Gellert pulled back.

"You didn't tell me you found a _hallow_! Of all things, you didn't tell me about _this_?"

"Because I know what the hallows do to us. We have a good life, I didn't want to bring the same temptation to you that presented itself to me."

"That is not your decision, Albus."

"It was, in the moment."

They stared at each other, Gellert's eyes burning with anger. 

"It is not that I don't trust you, Gellert, you know that. But I don't trust _us_ with the hallows," Albus said calmly.

Gellert only laughed mirthlessly and shook his head. "You constantly fear I could get caught up in the dark arts again. You think at the smallest trigger I'd run off to subjugate muggles again."

"You are angry and you have every right to be, I should have told you. But you know what you're saying is not true. You are inclined to the dark arts, we both know that, but I trust you. I wouldn't be with you, if I didn't."

Another moment passed in silence, until Gellert spun around on his heels and left the house without another word.

Albus sighed.

*

"Uncle Gellert?" 

Tom sat down next to him on the couch.

"I am not your uncle, _Junge_."

"Mama says you are."

Gellert sighed, running a hand over his face. "What do you want?"

"Can you talk to snakes, too?"

Gellert looked him in the eyes. "No. Very few are born with that ability."

"So that makes me special?" Tom asked, his face surprisingly calm for a child.

"Yes."

Tom seemed to think about it, nodding slowly to himself.

"They listen to me. I can make them do things. Not just snakes, other animals, too," he said quietly, still looking at Gellert.

"And what exactly can you make them do?"

"I can make them scare people off. Mean people."

*

"I never went to school," Merope said, while they were walking through the village. The sun was already setting and the sky bright red.

"Neither did I," Ariana replied. "Albus loved Hogwarts, Aberforth not so much."

Merope smiled. "That isn't surprising." She hesitated. "Do you think Tom will like it?"

"Of course. He'll be with Oscar and Albus says he is very talented, it will be great for him."

"I'm worried," Merope admitted and Ariana smiled, hugging her sympathetically. "It will be fine," she assured. "And Albus is there, too. He'll look out for Tom."

"I have never thanked you for taking me and Tom in. And your family... They are good people."

"You don't need to thank me. I'm so glad I met you. I never had a friend before and Aberforth and Albus, they have their own lives, I never had that either. You and Tom - you gave that to me. So, I should thank you, really," Ariana said.

And at that it was Merope’s turn to hug her.

*

"What's going on in your country, Grindelwald?" Aberforth asked at Christmas dinner.

Tom was home for the holidays and very pleased with his time at Hogwarts. He had been sorted into Slytherin like Merope had predicted and surprisingly Oscar had been as well.

Gellert, who sat opposite of Aberforth, looked at him and put on a mocking face. "I didn't know you take interest in politics now."

"I hear a lot of people talk," Aberforth huffed.

"I'm sure the people, who visit your _pub_ are a very reliable source of information." His tone couldn't have been more ironic.

"Don't need to be an expert to see everyone's going crazy."

"There are tensions between the muggles."

"Your muggle chancellor is insane. What does he call himself again?"

"He's insane and he's overestimating himself horribly, but tensions between the muggles can be quite useful for the sake of wizarding corporation. Not that you would understand any of that."

Aberforth glared daggers at him and opened his mouth to respond, when Estelle cut in: "Boys, go feed the goats."

Tom, Oscar and Percy looked offended. "But, mum -," Percy protested, but Estelle shook her head relentlessly.

Tom looked over to Merope and Ariana. "Please, I'm interested in this," he begged quietly.

"This will not be interesting, at all," Albus cut in, putting a hand on Gellert’s back.

Sullen and with much more noise than necessary, the three boys left the table and headed for the barn.

"Why am I not surprised _you_ approve of him?" Aberforth said.

Gellert leaned forward and narrowed his eyes, keeping them fixed on Aberforth. "You're implying something, Dumbledore?"

Aberforth raised his brows defiantly. "What do you think?"

"I think you should stick to your own business," Gellert snapped, his tone icy. Albus squeezed his shoulder, while Estelle put a hand on Aberforth's knee.

Merope looked back and forth between all of them, confused and unsettled and Ariana took her hand.

"Since I have to see you frequently, it _is_ my bloody business if you're planning to start a war again."

Gellert's jaw clenched and Albus' grip on his shoulder tightened.

"If I wanted to start a war," he said, dangerously quiet. "You wouldn't even notice until we'd be right in the middle of it. And then the people that visit your pub would be all in for it already. They'd be the ones standing in the first row, they'd be the first to fall and I'd make them believe that's what they want. It would be so easy and I'd be so much smarter than to use this Hitler lad."

There was a heavy pause after that, Aberforth and Gellert glared daggers at each other, Merope looked overwhelmed, while Estelle and Ariana exchanged worried looks. Albus sighed, exasperated, rolling his eyes.

"Come on," he said, determined. "We're taking a walk."

They stood up and Albus dragged him outside. As soon as they had left the room, Estelle hit Aberforth's arm. "Was that necessary?"

"What? He provoked me!"

"You provoked him, too!"

Ariana shook her head, watching them fight for a minute, before she slowly stood up and pulled Merope out of the room. She could see Albus and Gellert argue outside, decided to ignore them and handed Merope her cloak.

"We're taking the boys to church."

That's what her mum had done, when they had been young.

"Should we leave them alone now?"

"Don't worry, they'll sort it out. They always do. Let's go. Boys!"

They met the Riddles in church and Merope feared Tom would recognize his father any minute. The two looked almost shockingly alike. Merope and Tom Sr. stared at each other for a moment, shock written clearly on both of their faces, but they didn't say anything.

To say it was less tense than at home would've been a very optimistic description. Merope was on the edge of storming out of the building the whole time and it didn't go unnoticed by the boys, but in the end, they stayed until the service finished. They were the first to leave, nonetheless.

When they arrived at home, Gellert had left - Albus looked quite unhappy - Aberforth sulked and Estelle treated him with glares. Nobody stayed long after that and when Tom was in bed and their lights almost off, Merope told her: "I don't miss him anymore."

*

"Are you expecting visitors?", Ariana asked, looking out of the window down the green, sun lit hill. Spring arrived early that year, making flowers bloom and insects fly in Little Hangleton. A shabby looking man was staggering towards their house, seemingly talking to himself.

"Who would I expect?" Merope replied, coming to stand at her side.

"There is a man coming up here."

Merope took a look out of the window and flinched, frightened. 

"That's my brother!", she whispered.

"What is he doing here?"

Merope shook her head and took a step back from the window. "I don't know."

Only a moment later there was loud banging at the front door. He yelled something, but Ariana couldn't understand what he said, she could only hear the significant hissing noises of someone speaking parseltongue.

"What's he saying?"

"He wants to see me."

Ariana frowned. "Why? He didn't care before."

"He says he's seen us in church on Christmas," Merope said, staring at the door as if it could give in any moment. "What do we do now?"

"We could talk to him."

"No, we can't," Merope interrupted. "He's going to kill me!"

Ariana turned to her, shocked. "What?"

"He's going to kill me. Because of Tom and because I'm here and I gave you the necklace and I didn't wait at home!"

"Then we don't open the door."

"He won't go away."

The hissing became louder, as did the banging on the door.

"He says he'll come in!" Merope grabbed her arm in fear. "He can't," Ariana replied. "Albus sealed it. There are some protection charms on the house."

She thought for a moment, then she spoke again:

"Then you need to tell him to go. Get your wand and tell him to go," Ariana said.

"My wand?" Merope asked, dumbfounded.

"Yes, you're a witch. You don't need to be afraid of him."

"But I haven't used it since..."

"Then it's time now. You can do this, Merope."

She didn't hex Morfin, although he tried so in reverse, but only defended herself until two Aurors arrived.

He wasn't unknown to them and he didn't go with them easily and Ariana could see, that it pained Merope to see her brother like that, despite everything.

But it was the first time, Merope used her wand again and she didn't stop afterwards, much to Tom's delight. She had forgotten a lot of things after not using it for so long, but Albus helped her get back to it.

*

"I was thinking," Albus said one night. "Maybe we should give the stone back to Merope."

Gellert looked at him for a long time, twisting the elder wand in his fingers.

"Why should we do that?"

"Because it rightfully belongs to her - the whole ring."

"She doesn't know its value," Gellert objected.

"And we know it too well." Albus smiled faintly and Gellert narrowed his eyes. 

"Why are you so afraid of us? Doesn't the press mock you for gibing everyone so many second chances? Why not us? We were very young, back then." He stretched out his arm and took Albus' hand, pulling him closer. "We have grown up."

"If I give second chances, I know what can come out of it and that never is a threat to the world, even if they fail me. _We_ on the other hand, are too powerful. We would be very dangerous, if we would ever indulge the hallows or the dark arts again and I cannot risk that."

Gellert frowned, unhappy.

"Additionally, Tom would surely get involved and the world really doesn't need three dark wizards."

"The boy is clever."

Albus nodded, smiling and pressed a kiss to the knuckles of Gellert's hand. "He reminds me of you, sometimes."

Gellert chuckled, raising his eyebrows. "In a good way or in a bad way?"

"Both."

For a moment, they just stared at each other, before Albus began to speak again: "We will give it back. You keep the elder wand and Merlin knows where the cloak is."

"Why do I have the feeling, I get no say in this?"

Albus smiled at him. "It is for the Greater Good."

*

"Uncle Gellert?"

Gellert rolled his eyes. "Still not your uncle. What is it?"

"Do you know where I could stay, when I travel to Austria?"

"Why would you travel to Austria?"

"To study elves. Me and Oscar want to go after school, before he starts training as an Auror."

"If you want to study elves, go to _Salzburg_. Be careful, there are a lot of Americans at the moment and they are very strict about the statue of secrecy and all that. I know someone there, you could write to him, maybe he'll help you find a bed."

Tom's eyes lit up excited, although he still nodded gracefully.

"Thank you."

"What do you want to do after that then?"

"I want to apply at Hogwarts."

Gellert chuckled at that. "Go and tell Albus."

**Author's Note:**

> Halfway through this was really difficult to write, but I had a lot of fun with it! I tried to include a lot of different things and aspects of all their lives and the general dynamics, but I fear it kind of lost the focus on Ariana and Merope as mothers.
> 
> I don't know, I am pretty happy with this and I did my best, so I hope you enjoyed it, too!


End file.
